StarWeld Tool Open laser system - designed for repairing tools and molds and doing repair work on large tools on-site - has won international design label 'iF product design award 2006'.

The 'StarWeld Tool Open' won the coveted international design label 'iF product design award 2006'. Almost 2000 products from 37 countries applied and the jury awarded the iF trademark to 688 products. The StarWeld Tool Open is a mobile laser welding system from Rofin/Baasel Lasertech in Starnberg/Germany.

The industrial design was created by the Hartmann + Hartmann team in Augsburg, Germany.

StarWeld Tool Open is a laser system designed for repairing tools and molds.

Its outstanding feature is that it can do repair work on large tools on-site.

The unique cantilever arm with the fibre-coupled laser can process surfaces very exactly in any position with minimal set-up times, there is no need of time-consuming transports of large tools and molds.

Repair work is done on-site benefiting from the flexible and mobile laser welding system.

The industrial design of the mobile repair work artist had to fulfill two very different requirements: the cantilever arm with its large range must be able to reach even difficult to access areas to be repaired.

In idle times, it should be as small and compact as possible, and if needed it should be ready for work immediately.

Easy maintainance was another requirement, which almost goes without saying in industrial design.

* Mobile and flexible - the designers of Hartmann + Hartmann gave the StarWeld Tool Open an overall design expressing first of all mobility and flexibility.

The mobile device can easily be moved to the appropriate site.

The flexible cantilever arm reaches any spot, almost like a human arm, and can be locked in any position wanted.

The optical fibre is the eye-catcher running along the cantilever arm like a red thread from the source to the processing head.

After use, the cantilever arm is folded up and is very well protected in a transport position with all operating elements and cables stowed away.

In this way, the StarWeld Tool Open is a neatly looking object when not in use.

For maintenance work, the integrated components can easily be accessed by taking off the casing panels.

The StarWeld Tool Open is a product made by Rofin/Baasel Lasertech.

The company calls back on many years of experience in the field of industrial lasers and manual welding lasers.

First-class laser technology and easy ergonomic handling characterize the outstanding systems.

Hartmann + Hartmann is a successful office for communication and industrial design.

The earmarking industrial design is based on the close cooperation with the client to achieve the best functional and aesthetic solution.

The Augsburg team has received awards regularly proving their high level in design.

'We are not striving for the award per se', declared CEO Werner Hartmann.

'Awards like the iF design award are the reward for the successful hand-in-hand cooperation with our customers in combining functionality and aesthetics.'

Investment in a laser welding tooling repair system has allowed a mould maker to provide a 24h turnaround on most parts and an emergency support and repair service (by arrangement).

Investment in a new laser welding system from Rofin compliments Mouldline's already comprehensive tool making service. With the new Rofin StarWeld Tool Open, Mouldline are now offering the following services. * 24h turnaround on most parts.

* Emergency support and repair service (by arrangement).

* Weld-up and return or full repair, including CNC machining of the repaired part.

* Full tool making service.

The StarWeld Tool Open is a mobile laser welding system designed for repairing tools and moulds.

The laser system is capable of adding material by deposit welding, using wires with typical diameters of 0.25-0.5mm, onto worn or damaged tools with great accuracy.

The laser also has the benefit of significantly lower heat input than other welding processes (e g, TIG) which prevents distortion of the tool, a common concern when using conventional welding repairs.

'Since purchasing Rofin's laser welding system our service has proved extremely popular, chipped and worn edges can be repaired without heat-treating the mould.

The welded area can even have better wear resistance than the rest of the workpiece,' said Mouldline's managing director, Ronnie Cole.

In addition to this, one of the systems outstanding features is that it can do repair work on tools of almost any size.

The unique cantilever arm (1.7m reach) with the fibre-coupled laser beam can process surfaces very accurately in any position, almost like a human arm, with minimal set-up times.

At the end of the arm is a swivelling mount which carries the XYZ axes and compact focus head.

Normally, a quick adjustment of this arm allows the weld seam to be aligned so that only one axis of motion need be used.

This technique avoids the need to tilt or manipulate large tools, the adjustment being carried out instead at the laser head.

After use, the cantilever arm is folded up and is very well protected in a transport position with all operating elements and cables stowed away.

The high power output (150W) allows moulds in copper and aluminium to be welded at higher speeds as well as the more normal tool steels.

The StarWeld Tool Open Laser system is the latest addition to Rofin's already popular range of laser tool repair systems and now forms a key part of Mouldline's tool making and repair services.

Old vacuum forming tools can be reproduced using metal filled resins at a lower cost compared to making a new tool, and so allow more parts to be made in less time.

Old vacuum forming tools can be reproduced using metal filled resins at a lower cost compared to making a new tool, as Toolcraft Plastics explain. Due to increased demands on staff, companies closing, moving or changing names, a common request to Toolcraft Plastics of Swindon is: 'I urgently need to reorder some plastics trays, but I can not find the tool; can you help?' Fortunately, where parts from the lost tool still exist, the answer is yes. Toolcraft can reproduce the old vacuum forming tools using metal filled resins, and then make more parts in less time and at a justifiable, lower cost compared to making a new tool.

Resin cast tools can also be machined and modified in Toolcraft's fully equipped toolroom to remove or add features.

Multiple tools can be cast to make better use of standard plastic sheets and less labour intensive, making greater cost savings and increasing throughput.

Alternatively, Toolcraft's standard tray range is another time and cost saving option, as there is no tool to pay for.

There are over 25 different tray styles and sizes available in various materials including antistatic conductive.